11 named examples with their significance, drawn from the Panther database. Read them, then test yourself.
In test mode, tap an example to reveal why it matters.
The examples
1975 EEC Referendum: Wilson Uses Referendum to Manage Labour Party Division(2016)(tap to reveal)- Harold Wilson's Labour government held the UK's first national referendum in 1975 on continued membership of the European Economic Community. The referendum result was 67.2% Yes (Remain) on a 64.5% turnout. Critically, Wilson permitted Cabinet ministers to campaign on either side - suspending collective Cabinet responsibility for the campaign period. The referendum was widely seen as a device to manage internal Labour party divisions on Europe rather than a principled commitment to direct democracy. Senior Labour figures like Tony Benn campaigned for Leave while Roy Jenkins campaigned for Remain.
2005 Edinburgh Congestion Charge Referendum: 74% No on 61.7% Turnout(2005)(tap to reveal)- In February 2005, Edinburgh residents voted on a proposed congestion charge scheme. The No vote won 74.4% on a 61.7% turnout - higher than many local elections. The scheme would have charged up to £2 per trip into the city centre, with revenue funding public transport improvements. The high turnout reflects that voters engage more readily with referendums when the question has direct financial impact on their daily lives. The result shows that even technically beneficial policies (reduced congestion, improved buses) can be rejected in direct votes when cost is salient.
2012 Bristol and Birmingham Elected Mayor Referendums: 24% and 27% Turnout(2014)(tap to reveal)- In May 2012, ten English cities held referendums on whether to adopt directly elected mayors. Bristol voted Yes (53%) on only 24.1% turnout; Birmingham voted No (57%) on 27.6% turnout. Nine of the ten cities voted No. The low turnout in both cases raises serious questions about the democratic legitimacy of the outcomes - less than 1 in 4 eligible voters participated in Bristol despite the major constitutional change that resulted. Only Bristol (and cities outside the ballot like London) proceeded with elected mayors. Contrast with the 2014 Scottish independence referendum's 84.6% turnout.
2016 EU Referendum: Direct Democracy, Voter Knowledge and Age/Education Cleavages(2016)(tap to reveal)- On 23 June 2016 the UK voted 51.9% Leave to 48.1% Remain on a 72.2% turnout - the highest UK-wide turnout since the 1992 general election. The age cleavage was sharp: Ashcroft polling found 71% of 18-24s voted Remain and 64% of over-65s voted Leave. Graduates broke 57% Remain; voters with no formal qualifications broke 72% Leave. Scotland (62%) and Northern Ireland (56%) voted Remain; Wales (52.5%) and England outside London voted Leave. Cameron resigned the following morning.
Brexit: Parliament, People, and Democracy (2016-20)(2016)(tap to reveal)- 52-48% referendum result. Three meaningful vote defeats. Prorogation attempt. Shows tension between direct and representative democracy. Biggest constitutional crisis in modern British politics.
Scottish Independence Referendum 2014(2014)(tap to reveal)- September 2014. Question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" No: 55.3%, Yes: 44.7%, Turnout: 84.6%. Better Together (No) vs Yes Scotland. "The Vow" by Cameron, Miliband and Clegg promised more powers to Holyrood. Led to Scotland Act 2016.
Scottish Independence Referendum 2014: 55% No, 84.6% Turnout(2016)(tap to reveal)- The 2014 Scottish independence referendum achieved 84.6% turnout - the highest turnout for any UK-wide vote since the 1992 general election. 55% voted No (remain in the UK), 45% voted Yes. The referendum was notable for extending the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds for the first time in a UK referendum. Young voters were estimated to have voted 71% Yes. The SNP's loss did not end the independence debate - the 2016 EU referendum (Scotland voting 62% Remain) re-energised calls for a second referendum.
Welsh Assembly Additional Powers Referendum 2011: 35% Turnout(2011)(tap to reveal)- In March 2011, a referendum was held in Wales on whether to give the National Assembly for Wales full law-making powers. The Yes side won with 63.5% of the vote, but turnout was only 35%.
2011 AV Referendum: 68% voted No to Alternative Vote(2011)(tap to reveal)- The 2011 referendum on replacing FPTP with the Alternative Vote system resulted in a 68% No vote on a 42% turnout. The referendum was a concession won by the Liberal Democrats in the 2010 coalition negotiations. The No campaign was better funded and ran negative ads linking AV to Nick Clegg personally; analysis suggests many voters were expressing dissatisfaction with the LibDems (already unpopular over tuition fees) rather than making a considered judgement about electoral systems. This was only the second UK-wide referendum ever held.
AV Referendum 2011: Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Conflict(2011)(tap to reveal)- The Alternative Vote referendum on 5 May 2011 saw 67.9% vote No with 42.2% turnout. The campaign exposed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition tensions, with Cameron campaigning hard against AV despite agreeing to hold the referendum.
Cameron's Brexit Referendum (2016): The Elastic Model of PM Power in Practice(2016)(tap to reveal)- Cameron included the referendum pledge in the 2015 Conservative manifesto, expecting to win as he had won a similar AV referendum pledge in 2011. He negotiated a renegotiation deal with the EU (February 2016) and campaigned for Remain. On 24 June 2016 the Leave side won 51.9% to 48.1%. Cameron resigned the same morning. His successor Theresa May faced three years of parliamentary gridlock implementing the result.